Voice recognition apparatus

• US 8,762,145 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Kazushige, Koga, Toshiyuki, Yamamoto, Daisuke, Doi, Miwako
• Primary Examiner(s): ALBERTALLI, BRIAN LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US13/430,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/233
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/80 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/10 using distance or distortion measures between unknown speech and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2025/783 based on threshold decision
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/84 for discriminating voice from noise

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a voice recognition apparatus includes a determination unit, an estimating unit, and a voice recognition unit. The determination unit determines whether a component with a frequency of not less than 1000 Hz and with a level not lower than a predetermined level is included in a sound input from a plurality of microphones. The estimating unit estimates a sound source direction of the sound when the determination unit determines that the component is included in the sound. The voice recognition unit recognizes whether the sound obtained in the sound source direction coincides with a voice model registered beforehand.

Claims

1. A voice recognition apparatus comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether a hand clapping sound having a level not lower than a predetermined level and occurring when hands of a speaker are clapped is included in a sound input from a microphone array;

an estimating unit configured to estimate a sound source direction of the sound when the determination unit determines that the hand clapping sound is included in the sound;

a voice recognition unit configured to recognize whether the sound obtained in the sound source direction coincides with a voice model registered beforehand; and

an orientation control unit configured to adjust the orientation of the microphone array in the sound source direction of the sound,

wherein when the determination unit determines that the hand clapping sound is included in the sound, the orientation control unit adjusts the orientation of the microphone array and the voice recognition unit operates.

2. A voice recognition apparatus comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether a hand clapping sound having a level not lower than a predetermined level and occurring when hands of a speaker are clapped is included in a sound input from a microphone array;

an estimating unit configured to estimate a sound source direction of the sound when the determination unit determines that the hand clapping sound is included in the sound;

a voice recognition unit configured to recognize whether the sound obtained in the sound source direction coincides with a voice model registered beforehand; and

an orientation control unit configured to adjust the orientation of the microphone array in the sound source direction of the sound,

wherein when the determination unit determines that the hand clapping sound is included in the sound, the orientation control unit adjusts the orientation of the microphone array and the voice recognition unit operates, and

the determination unit further determines whether the sound is detected twice within a predetermined period of time.